Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Hershey's Cherry Blossom ultra-processed?

45 g Bonbons Sold in Canada and France

Pack of Hershey's Cherry Blossom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 30 ingredients
  • 13 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed bonbons

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Sugars (sugar, glucose syrup), Modified palm oil, vegetable oil (shea, sunflower, and safflower), palm kernel oil, milk ingredients, chocolate, Peanuts, Coconut, Maraschino cherries, Salt, Lecithin, Natural and artificial flavours, Citric acid, Acetic acid, Glycerin, Invertase, Sodium benzoate, Potassium sorbate, Polyglycerol polyricinoleate, Sodium metabisulphite, Allura red, Tartrazine, Calcium carbonate, Calcium chloride, Brilliant blue FCF

Additives: E102 Tartrazine , E1103 Invertase , E129 Allura red , E133 Brilliant blue FCF , E202 Potassium sorbate , E211 Sodium benzoate , E223 Sodium metabisulphite , E260 Acetic acid , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid , E422 Glycerol , E476 Polyglycerol polyricinoleate

As written on the pack

Sugars (sugar, glucose syrup), Modified palm oil and modified vegetable oil (shea, sunflower, and/or safflower), Modified palm kernel oil, Modified milk ingredients, Unsweetened chocolate, Peanuts, Coconut, Maraschino cherries, Salt, Lecithin (soy), Natural and artificial flavours, Citric acid, Acetic acid, Glycerin, Invertase, Sodium benzoate, Potassium sorbate, Polyglycerol polyricinoleate, Sodium metabisulphite, Allura red, Tartrazine, Calcium carbonate, Calcium chloride, Brilliant blue FCF

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • E102 Tartrazine Tartrazine is a synthetic yellow azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 5 in the US).
  • E129 Allura red Allura red AC is a synthetic red azo dye (FD&C Red No. 40 in the US).
  • E133 Brilliant blue FCF Brilliant blue FCF is a synthetic blue dye, listed in the US as FD&C Blue No. 1.
  • E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
  • E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
  • E476 Polyglycerol polyricinoleate Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) is an emulsifier made from castor oil.
Show 1 more
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Palm kernel oil An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
  • Milk An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
6 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 193 bonbons

From least to most processed, this one ranks 163rd. 94% of the bonbons here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 193 bonbons, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0068000702270, last edited 17 March 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.